A Strange Meeting Place
by Chunk127
Summary: Clark finds a girl. In the last place he expected.


Buffy: End of season 5

Smallville: The Middle of Hidden

Buffy is owned by Joss Whedon, Smallville is owned by the WB, and DVDs of each series is owned by me.

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><p>Clark got up kind of wondering what happened to the pain in his side. He was shot wasn't he? He looks around the place and it's peaceful. Everything about this place is. He looks around and realizes where he is. He's dead. Well at least for all the pain he has brought on people he made it into the good place. He didn't have to keep secrets or lie anymore he could just be himself. Maybe.<p>

Buffy looked over at the new recruit the hottest guy she has ever seen. She's been here for nearly a year and loves it here. She'll admit that she occasionally misses Dawn and the rest of the scoobies but she's OK. She's at peace. She decides to make friendly with the new guy and walks over to him intent on telling him everything that has happened to him in the last couple minutes.

"Hey new guy." Buffy shouts at Clark.

Clark turns around and sees an angel for lack of a better word. She's the most beautiful woman Clark has ever seen. Clark wasn't sure what he was going to say to the girl so he stuttered out. "A-are you an angel."

Buffy blushes a bit before laughing at the comment no one has ever called her an angel before. "No, although I did get here because I tried to fly." Buffy quipped. "How about you?"

Clark sighed. "I tried to talk a kid with a gun down from nuking my town. Suddenly realizing how foolish that was."

Buffy nodded and introduced herself. "Buffy Summers"

"Clark Kent"

"So Clark why did you try to talk the kid down? If he was nuking the town he'd never hesitate at one. It was kind of like ducking and covering in front of an active volcano." Buffy asked.

Clark pouted it always came back to his secret. "That's kind of private."

Buffy looked at him and thought. 'Which is code for I have a secret?'

Buffy took him by the hand. "Clark believe me I get keeping secrets. Part of being a vampire slayer for 5 years. But it doesn't matter here. I mean best case scenario this is a dream and you're in a coma. Worst case scenario you're dead in which case dead girls tell no tales." Buffy joked. "If you want to keep a secret that's fine. If not just know I'm a good listener…as long as a shoe store doesn't pop up in the middle of a conversation."

Clark laughed and pouted. "Where were you when I was still alive?"

"Sunnydale California" Buffy answered. "So no girl like me at home in-."

"Smallville Kansas" Clark answered. "And no I thought Chloe might be but it ends up the reason she might have stopped investigating me is my ex told her about me. And Lana well we were together to the end and I was still lying to her about my abilities even though I lost them."

"So you have powers." Buffy lets out and quickly changes the subject realizing her mistake. "So tell me about Lana?"

Clark tries to start. "Lana's great."

Buffy waits for Clark to add on more and is shocked when he doesn't. "That's it. She's great and you lie to her. I'm not seeing epic love here Clark. I'm seeing a Frosted Flakes commercial"

Clark shrugs. "Well how about you Buffy?"

Buffy starts waving her arms up frantic. "Oh no, I've had exactly two guys in my life and they both left, left town left to be rid of me."

Clark puts his hands on Buffy's shoulders. "Well they're fools."

Buffy laughed emptily. "Well I thought so."

Clark decides to tell the truth to cheer up she's either already dead or a side effect of a lot of painkillers anyway. "Let's try this again." He put his hand up. "Kal El the last son of…well just another kryptonian now, but I prefer Clark Kent."

Buffy smiles and takes his hand. "Buffy Summers twice dead vampire slayer. So what do you want to do now Mr. Alien?"

Clark looked at her honestly. "Intergalactic Traveler and I want to wait here for the next hour. I want to see if I get any company with the bomb."

Buffy nodded in understanding and decided to wait with him in silence for the hour.

* * *

><p>When the hour passed Clark breathed a sigh of relief. He doesn't know how but someone stopped the bomb he's putting his money on Chloe.<p>

Buffy turned to him "What's it like being an alien on a strange world?"

Clark was in thought. "What's it like being a vampire slayer."

Buffy smiled. "I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours"

Clark smiled at her. "Well turn around is fair play."

The next couple hours they spent exchanging their life stories. Both were taken back with how similar their lives were. Including going out in the line of duty. Buffy trying to save her sister and Clark trying to save the whole town. As the conversation ended Clark was surprised that Buffy wasn't upset about Clark even giving up his powers. She understood wanting to be normal. She wanted it herself until her Cruciamentum.

"Oh that's what I wanted to do." Buffy whined.

Clark was confused by that. "What did you want to do?"

Buffy just said what was on her mind. "Nothing I just wanted to haunt an old guy in England but he's not worth it."

Clark smiled. "Probably not considering they might punt you down for it." He joked.

Buffy looks at Clark and wonders how he's so peaceful with everything he's put up with for 4 years. By the end of it she cared about nothing but saving Dawn. Yet right until the end Clark remained himself. They were so alike in life part of the world but never got a chance to live in it. Then she decides what the hell this is heaven after all and if anyone deserves downtime and the right to live a little fun it's them.

Buffy grabs Clark by the shirt and starts kissing him. Clark is shocked at first and then responds. In time Clark gives up as Buffy is an incredible kisser and their lips part and their tongues touch enjoying each other's taste. Buffy feels Clark's chest through his shirt. He's built like a boy slayer. They break apart for different reasons Buffy wanting to catch her breath and Clark having a problem with his eyes that he hasn't had since sophomore year.

Clark's eyes heated up and he moved Buffy aside and burned the floor. He's lost track of control being mortal and is taken back that his heat vision had returned.

Buffy watched as Clark put out the fire on the floor with his hands. "Heat vision's trigger is premature combustion I really didn't need to know about that one."

Clark gave a glare at her. "I didn't know I had it again." Clark lightened the mood. "At least I didn't burn heaven to the ground."

Buffy smiled. "You get a new body when you die, good thing too because mine would be kind of gross by now." Buffy's eyes bug out when she realizes there are no mirrors here. "I don't look gross do I?"

Clark calmed her down. "You're beautiful, smart and you really are a good listener. And the bravest person I know risking your life stopping all those apoclyps…ises? Maybe whatever the plural of Apocalypse is."

"Thanks Clark." Buffy said wiping a tear. Why couldn't her mom have moved her and Dawn to Smallville from LA? Angel was a bossy tool that as she witnessed from here always viewed her as some mythical reward. Not to mention that whole mess with the mohra demon. She can't believe he could make a choice like that without even talking to her. If for some reason she ever gets back down to earth again Angel is getting an old fashioned case of slayer foot to vampire ass. Then there was Riley. Once in a lifetime, what a joke. She didn't run after him for the reasons that Xander thought. She wanted to personally kick Captain Cardboard's ass out of Sunnydale. One dishonest vampire and she'd have had to stake the guy who was always freaked out by her strength. Then to top it off he gave her an ultimatum because he wanted her to break down on his time about her dying mother. Why couldn't she have gotten there 5 minutes earlier?

The two continued talking and spending time with each other the whole day. It let Clark come to terms with the fact that his life is over. He coped and realized it was over and he hopes Lana will move on to someone who treats her better. He did something that surprised even him. He kissed Buffy, and she quickly returned it. Blame it on the constant euphoria this place shoots out Buffy will as she knocked Clark to the floor. Clark just cups her face in his hand.

"Buffy what are we doing?" Clark asked.

Buffy smiled. "You're a teenage boy. You haven't figured it out yet?"

Clark nods his head. "I figured it out. It's just kind of sudden isn't it?"

"Well yeah" Buffy replied. "But the way I figure it we were careful our whole lives shouldn't we enjoy the time we have now."

"I could hurt you." Clark warned he was always afraid of losing control.

"You won't." Buffy assures him as she kisses him down his neck. "You probably can't anyway I'm already dead."

Clark wraps his arms around her back. Here goes nothing.

* * *

><p>Buffy laid on top of Clark if this place wasn't paradise before it is now. Clark held the slayer in his arms that was magic for lack of a better word. He never would have tried that with Lana. He wouldn't trust himself not to hurt her. He wonders why he did it with Buffy. Maybe because she trusted him and let him open up on his terms. Lana insisted there be no secrets and tried to force him to tell her. While Buffy waited until he was ready to tell her. Clark looked down and saw Buffy smile at him she couldn't.<p>

Clark looked at her. "You can't possibly. Not that I wouldn't mind."

Buffy just laughed at him. "No I'm spent. Pleasantly numb even. I just don't want to sleep. I'm still enjoying this. Haven't been this happy in a long time."

Clark just laughed and held her tight. "Go to sleep Buffy we have all the time in the world."

Buffy nodded off and Clark followed soon after. Buffy woke up 3 hours later. She didn't know how but she knew. She just knew something was wrong. Chalk it up to slayer sense. "Clark, wake up."

Clark mumbles and wakes up. "I'm up." He says not to Buffy but just looks to the sky.

Buffy looks to see what has Clark's attention and sees the clouds starting to transform into a demon. She guesses a slayer doesn't even get rest in the afterlife. Lightning starts moving around the demon as it takes human form at 10 ft tall and it just inhales deep. Buffy finds herself being pulled off the ground towards the demon. In a blur Clark got up and grabbed her arms. He can't lose her now he just found her. He takes aim and fires his heat vision over Buffy and hits the demon in the face and arms.

Meanwhile in one of the many cemeteries in Sunnydale the scoobies are in a circle around Buffy's grave. Willow is performing one of her toughest spells yet. She knew Buffy could very well end up in Acathla's world and she wasn't leaving her in a hell dimension. What she didn't expect though was to be covered in wounds all over her face and her arms.

Xander was instantly concerned this spell was too much for his friend as he reaches for her. "Willow"

"No" Tara starts stuttering. "She t- she told me…this might happen."

"Osiris here lies the warrior of the people. Let her cross over." Willow shouted.

Meanwhile the demon has been knocked down by heat vision but has recovered. It glares at Clark who got Buffy behind him when she dropped down. "You can not stop the will of Osiris boy."

Clark growled at him. "I can try." He moved at full speed and punched him unrestrained in the gut. Not only knocking the wind out of him but knocked him back 10 feet.

Back in Sunnydale Willow suffers the effect of Clark's punch as she feels something in her gut. She puts her hands on the floor and thrives until she pukes out a snake.

"It's just a test." Tara assures the others but mostly herself.

Clark ran over to the demon but this time the demon got his hand up and Clark froze in his tracks. "I am Osiris' messenger I have control over the dead."

Buffy ran over to help but the messenger smiled as his prey came towards him. Clark watches in horror as the blond that quickly took his heart was turned into orange mist in the messenger's hand and disappeared. Clark was beyond angry first he failed to save Alicia and now Buffy. He broke free of sheer will and shoved the messenger a clear 20 feet high and 30 feet away. Clark eyes turned a dangerous glow of red as everything went white around him. "I'll burn the flesh off your bones." The white light stopped and Clark looked around and saw he wasn't in the same place anymore so many crystals. He looked around and saw he was back in the fortress fully clothed.

"Hello Kal El"

Clark let his eyes go back to blue and turned to the voice and to his surprise it was Lionel Luthor.

* * *

><p><strong>18 Months later <strong>

Life went on for Clark Kent after that time. He had to go on and stop the missile on his own. He told Chloe about Buffy but she convinced him that it was all just a dream. He got Buffy from a Met U sorority that she was looking at as a way into the Daily Planet. He got Summers from Eric Summers the only other person who knows what having his powers would be like. Clark argued against it and brought up Sunnydale. Chloe did a search and found a Buffy Summers living on Ravello Drive but she had never died and there was no picture. Clark took the defeat in stride and tried to get back to his life with Lana. The secrets and the lies kept coming up and Clark realized it just wasn't going to work since he never trusted her with the truth. Clark sometimes wonders if that was what the Buffy dream was about that it wouldn't work with Lana since he doesn't trust her and fell for Buffy so easily. He broke up with Lana on the day his father won the senate seat. She was killed that night in a car accident thanks to a drunken Lex. Clark refused to accept it and asked Jor El to reset the day and give him another chance. It was a mistake. He saved Lana but his dad died in her place and Clark couldn't reset the clock again.

The rest of the year wasn't much better. He fought General Zod and got locked in the phantom zone. He had to let out 6 phantoms to go back to earth and stop him. He had to blow off Oliver Queen's job offer so he can track down these phantoms. Lex and Lana are getting married. If Lana is willing to marry him after he fed her and his parents to three meteor freaks all in attempt to find his secret he wonders what he saw in her in the first place and wishes they would just leave him alone with gloating that does nothing. Lex has become nothing short of the monster that lives under Lionel Luthor's monster's bed. He was gathering up kidnapping experimenting, and killing people just because they were different than him. Last week he even went after Chloe. The amnesiac reporter and Jimmy had to keep Clark from going and snapping Lex's neck like a twig. Clark is with Chloe at the Daily Planet right now keeping her company.

Chloe looked up from her desk. "OK Clark I appreciate you trying to protect me but you can't watch me forever. Someone has to bring in those prisoners from the phantom zone."

"I'm your personal bomb squad." Clark reminded her. "Besides Jimmy set me up on a computer and I'm looking into it. I'm just not finding anything."

At this point Lois came into the office with her I need a favor look. "Chloe, want to help your cuz win a Pulitzer."

"I doubt you'll get a Pulitzer working at the Inquisitor but I'm all ears." Chloe said. "But aren't you supposed to be looking for Nessie in Scotland."

Lois glared at Chloe. "Chupacabra in the everglades and that doesn't start until next week."

Chloe smiled and put her hands up. "My mistake so what can I do for you."

Lois looked at Chloe. "I need to know everything about a small town in California, Sunnydale."

Clark stopped what he was doing at that word. "What's happening in Sunnydale?"

Lois turned to Clark. "Didn't realize you were a journalist Smallville. Well my story's safe with you it's not like your going to make your mark on the world."

Clark glared at Lois. "Did I mention how much I'm going to miss you?"

Lois was taken back by that. "No"

"Well" Clark just went to typing on the keyboard earning Lois' glare.

Chloe smiled having to play peacekeeper between these two. "So what do you want to know about Sunnydale?" Chloe asked.

"Anything you can tell me." Lois answered. "The whole town is emptying out it's like they know they're about to be hit by something."

Clark got Buffy's address and wiped out his browser history he went for the door and Chloe asked Lois to give them a minute. Lois went to work at Chloe's desk while she went after Clark.

Chloe got out in time to stop Clark. "You're going to Sunnydale aren't you?"

Clark simply nodded. "I have to help the people there Chloe."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't." Chloe replied. "You're going to see her aren't you?"

"Yes" Clark replied.

"And if it was all just a dream like I thought it was." Chloe said.

"Then I'll finally know for sure and let her go." Clark conceded. He doesn't know how to phrase this next part. "Chloe if Lex-"

"I'll call if Lex pays me a visit or if I go Chernobyl I promise." Chloe assures him as Clark disappears.

* * *

><p>Clark walks up to the address on Ravello Drive he really didn't think this through. OK he'll just walk up and knock he can do that. If Buffy answers this hopefully gets easier if not he'll just ask why they haven't left yet. He walked up to the door and walks smack into a blue wall that suddenly wrapped itself around the house. He gets up and wipes off the dirt from his clothes. He now has a reaffirmation for his hatred of magic. He looks and sees the door opens and sees three people come out. The first was an older British man with a sword, the second a redhead about Buffy's age, and the last one a brunette teenager younger than him with a crossbow.<p>

"Can I shoot him?" Dawn asked.

"Easy Dawnie we both know your twitchy trigger finger on a Tuesday is a bad mix." Willow answered poor Miss Kitty Fantastico.

Dawn pouted. "But he set off your non human alarm." Dawn defended herself.

"Dawn go inside and watch the others." Giles ordered her.

Dawn rolls her eyes. "Yeah because we all know if he can get past you two. I'll be more than capable of fighting him off by myself." Dawn quips as she goes back in.

Giles was staring a hole through the young man trying to figure him out. He wasn't an agent of the first he would have sent bringers in ahead of him. However the spell Willow put around the house to protect the girls knocked him away so he wasn't human either. Willow was taken back by their guest he had a lot of power. But his aura was white, fluffy, and powerful like the sun. Still doesn't mean she trusts him though.

"So what can we do for you?" Willow asked.

Clark looked like a deer in the headlights this had to be one of the stupidest things he has ever done. "I'm looking for someone."

"And this someone would be?" Giles asked.

"Buffy Summers" Clark answered.

Willow shrugged. "She's not here. Who are you?"

Clark thought and asked. "Clark Kent, Will she be back soon?"

Willow looked into his cerulean blue eyes and dropped her guard with the power he has he might have very well been able to punch through the barrier but he didn't. "We don't really know. So why are you here and how do you know Buffy?"

Clark didn't know what to say he wasn't exactly going to say yeah I met her in heaven. Clark chooses to be as honest as he can. "We met over a year ago. I heard everyone was abandoning Sunnydale wanted to make sure she got out OK."

Giles brings his sword down when he saw that Willow dropped her guard. "It's a noble gesture Mr. Kent but I assure you Buffy has no desire to leave Sunnydale."

Clark was confused. "I thought the town was being evacuated."

Giles didn't know how to explain this to someone who didn't know about the hellmouth. He came up with the best lie he could. "It's a voluntary evacuation you don't have to leave if you don't want to people are just concerned about-"

"A sinkhole" Willow added to the lie with bits of truth. "It's at the highschool and people are just being paranoid they think it might swallow the town."

At this a short blond boy came to the door. "Mr. Giles are Buffy and the others done fighting the demons at Vineyard. Me and Faith need to have a serious talk about the hot pockets."

Giles and Willow turn around. "Shut up Andrew" they say in unity. They turn around and just see the front lawn Clark is gone.

Giles looked around. "Mr. Kent"

Willow was also looking around. "Giles this is bad isn't it."

"Quite likely" The ex librarian responded.

* * *

><p>Clark ran around Sunnydale until he found the vineyard. He got in and saw an all out war between girls and blind druids apparently. He looked around and saw a priest with a hand on a guy about to stick his thumb through his eye.<p>

"You're the one who sees everything, aren't you? Well let's see what we can't do about that." Caleb went to put his thumb through Xander's eye when Clark grabbed him by his free hand and threw the preacher into a barrel.

Xander is blinking both eyes making sure he still has them. He turns to his rescuer. "Thanks Bu-" Xander looks at Clark. "Complete stranger I do not know."

Xander sees a bringer about to bury a knife in Clark's back. "Look out." The bringer brings down his knife which shatters into pieces when it makes contact with Clark. Clark just grabs the bringer and throws it into the wall. Xander just smiles wondering if this is Caleb's good half. "Who are you?"

"Clark"

Xander and Clark turn around and see Buffy and Spike. Clark is mesmerized she is just as beautiful as he remembers her. Buffy is looking in awe. She didn't think she would see Clark again for a really long time. It took very powerful Dark magic for Willow to pull her out of heaven how did Clark get out. And if he caught a ride with her, why did it take a year and a half to find her.

Xander cleared his throat to break up the shocked look between Buffy and Clark. "Well you two obviously know each other. How come I don't know him?"

Buffy rolls her eyes. "Clark, Xander, Xander, Clark"

Clark and Xander shake hands as Spike watches the boy before he turns to Buffy. "We have to go slayer."

Buffy looked at the shards of knife on the floor and smiled realizing Clark has his powers. "No we don't."

Kennedy heard her and rolls her eyes she is really starting to hate Buffy. "We're no match for that preacher."

Buffy smiled. "We are now."

Caleb got up from the barrel Clark threw him into with eyes of fury. How come his lord didn't warn him about that guy? Caleb glared at Clark. "I will purge this earth of you and the little girls."

Buffy groaned. "Caleb meet Clark. Clark meet Caleb, Caleb likes to murder teenage girls Clark. See if you can do something about that?" Buffy asked.

Clark just looked at the preacher. "I'll see what I can do."

Clark walked right up to Caleb. Caleb responded by punching Clark in the face. To his shock Clark doesn't flinch.

Caleb shakes his hand and looks on knowing he's in trouble. "Did that even hurt?"

"No, but I did feel it." Clark replies before hitting Caleb with a haymaker of his own Caleb goes flying hard into the wall.

"Bloody hell" Spike says seeing the show of power.

Buffy turned into the leader she was already mesmerized when Clark fought off Osiris' messenger with his power. "Spike get the wounded out everyone else take down the bringers."

The girls were reenergized seeing someone capable of fighting the inhumane preacher that was going through the potentials like nothing. They assaulted the bringers until their numbers were down to nothing. When the bringers were finished everyone was watching Clark vs. Caleb. Faith and Xander each had their own reaction. Xander is wondering how Buffy knows this guy and why didn't she call him when Glory showed up. Faith is wondering what kind of demon Clark is and wonders why B can't ever fall for a normal guy.

Caleb is sent rolling to the ground coughing up black ooze. This new hitter has been able to dodge everything he throws at him with incredible speed and each hit feels like he was run over with an 18 wheeler. Clark could have killed him anytime now but he still didn't what is making him wait so long. The answer hits Caleb when he sees Clark just waiting for him to make the next move. He can't do it. Caleb just laughs.

Faith glared at him. After everything he's done and everything Clark did to him how could he be laughing. "Is there a joke we don't know about preacher."

"You're champion that's the joke you dirty whore." Caleb started. "Despite how much you whores corrupted your Sampson he won't kill me since I have flesh blood and a soul."

Buffy could see it in Clark's eyes he was used to fighting meteor freaks that were human.

Caleb gets up to his feet. "So what are you going to do now to save your whores? I won't stop until I'm dead and there isn't a prison on this earth that can hold me."

Clark smirked at what Caleb just said giving him an idea he reaches into his pocket pulling out a crystal and a bracelet. Buffy warned him in heaven Sunnydale was weird and he'd rather have them and not need them. Clark turned to Caleb. "I bet you can't pick out the one word you probably shouldn't have said?"

Clark threw the bracelet at Caleb who simply ducked under it. Caleb smiled. "You mi-" A portal opened up behind Caleb trying to suck the preacher in. Caleb punched a hole in the floor and hung on for dear life. Buffy took a crossbow off Xander and shot Caleb in the hand forcing the preacher to lose his grip and get sucked into a portal. Once Caleb is in the portal it disappears and the scoobies watch as Caleb is trapped inside what looks like a glass sheet.

Clark looks over at Chao Ahn. "Get away from the door."

Chao Ahn does nothing since she doesn't speak English. Another potential pulls her out of the way. As Caleb's glass sheet goes through the door and into the sky. Buffy walks over to Clark and sees him picking up the bracelet.

"Are you OK?" Clark asked seeing cuts and bruises on her.

Buffy nodded. "Not the first time I saw cartoon birdies. How does a girl get one of those?" Buffy asks pointing at the bracelet.

Clark smiled yeah its Buffy alright. "No idea, I kind of stole this one after my last apocalypse."

Buffy cups Clark's face in her hand it's as warm and soft as she remembers. "Are you real?"

Clark nods as they both look in each other's eyes. Xander looks at the scene he hasn't seen Buffy so focused on a guy since deadboy was around. Faith watched the scene and shared the sentiment with Xander before she broke their concentration. "Hey B I'm glad your mysterious rescuer showed up when he did but don't we have something to look for."

Buffy cursed Faith under her breath but she was right. Get thing now figure out how Clark got out later. "Yeah you're right. Everyone spread out; Caleb has something for me so let's find it."

Xander cut in. "About Caleb" Xander turns to Clark. "What exactly did you do to him?"

"I locked him up in the worst prison in the universe without the possibility of parole." Clark answered.

Xander smiled the crazy priest tried to take his eye after all. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy."

Buffy groaned. "Find out about Clark later start looking now Xander."

* * *

><p>Everyone looked around the vineyard for this thing Faith is starting to think it was just a trap although they do have a lot of free booze now. Clark looked around using his X-ray vision and found a hidden door under a barrel he easily moved the barrel, opened the door, and hopped down. He finds what he guesses they're looking for a red steel axe with a wooden stake at the bottom stabbed into a rock. He grabbed the axe with both hands and pulled…nothing happened. Clark calmed down and then put everything he had into pulling it out. The axe didn't move, he made two little trenches with his feet, and his hands were bleeding.<p>

Clark shakes his hand and has enough so he just shouts up. "Buffy I think I found it."

Buffy jumps down and looks in wonder at the weapon in the rock. "Why didn't you pull it out?"

Clark shrugged. "I tried to but it's stuck in there."

Buffy effortlessly pulls the axe from the rock.

Clark looks at her. "Well I loosened it." He joked.

Buffy looked at the blood on the scythe and then at Clark's hands.

Clark just put his hands up "It's mystical alright."

Buffy just smiles Clark saved her when she needed him most. "Fair enough come on let's get everyone back to my place."

* * *

><p>Buffy rounded up the troops. Clark and Xander grabbed Molly and Dianne's bodies. Buffy took them to a place and Clark buried them right next to Potential Chloe and Annabelle. When the graves were filled they were on their way back to Buffy's house. Buffy warned Clark that he would likely be visited by Alicia's ghost tonight but it won't be her it will be The First who is apparently the preacher's boss. They walked back to the house and Clark was greeted by Giles and Willow. Buffy looked at the scene and knew this was bad. Giles looked like he could go Ripper at any second and Willow looked like she was thinking of putting a forcefield in Clark and expand it till he pops.<p>

Buffy looked at the two. "Guys just calm down he's with me. He helped me find this." Buffy says waving the scythe.

"He also helped with a guy that kicked Buffy's butt and nearly poked my eye out." Xander added. "I wouldn't have had any more fun and games."

Willow looked at her. "Another vampire with a soul Buff" She asked but she doubted that was it.

Buffy looked to Willow. "Just a friend Will."

Willow gets a knowing smile. She can tell it's more than that. "Well your friend set off my security alarm."

Buffy shrugged. "Never said he was my normal friend"

Willow created a hole in the blue field for Clark to get through and everyone came in.

Clark looked down at his blood and dirt soaked hands. "Buffy do you have a place where I can wash up."

Buffy pointed him to the bathroom and got ready to face the Inquisition as Spike entered after dropping Rona off at the hospital. Buffy entered the kitchen and talked privately with the scoobies.

* * *

><p>"So, any idea what this ax looking thing is?" Buffy asked.<p>

Faith just looks at her she has to be joking. "B you really think that's what we're wondering about right now."

Buffy pouted. "I can hope can't I?"

Giles took off his glasses. "So will someone care to fill us in on what happened at the vineyard?"

Spike raised his hand. "Caleb had that holy hammer or holy hand grenade whatever that thing is at the vineyard. Bloke probably figured he could take us all on with his crazy strength and crush our morale."

"So what happened to the big bad preacher man?" Willow asked.

Spike smiled. "Buffy's friend had strength that was even crazier. He knocked around Caleb and only trapped him in a mystical glass cage because he refused to kill him."

Giles turned to Buffy hoping to get answers but he wasn't sure how to ask her considering she is still mad at him for what he and Robin tried to do to Spike.

Xander asked what should have been obvious. "Why didn't you call him when Glory came a knocking?"

Buffy shrugged and answered honestly. "I didn't know him then."

"So where did you meet Clark?" Willow asked. "Was there a superhero convention that we missed?"

"Heaven, they met in heaven." Dawn answered.

Buffy stared at her sister in shock. "How did you, I never even-"

Dawn put her arms up. "I watched you sleep when they first brought you back. You talk in your sleep and his name came up a bit."

Willow's eyes bugged out she got mutilated and puked snakes to get Buffy out how did he get out. "Buffy how did he?"

"I don't know." Buffy answered.

At this point Buffy was in shock as Faith came to her rescue. "It's been a long night and I don't know about you guys but I'm wiped. I think we should catch some sleep and figure all this out in the morning."

Giles looked surprised he figured Faith would be on their side on this. "You trust him."

"I trust B." Faith answered. "Besides if big red was going to kill us I think he would have done it at the vineyard. Now when he's done in there I'm going to wring out my hair and get a drink maybe and get some much needed sleep."

Giles thought on it Faith might be right cooler heads and all. "This can wait till tomorrow."

Buffy nods Clark can tell them if he's ever ready to.

The scoobies weren't happy but hey they won. Buffy goes upstairs and Spike goes down to the basement.

* * *

><p>Clark was in the bathroom washing his hands. Not as bad as Zod's beating but still it freaks him out to see him bleed when he's not supposed to. He finishes up good as new and turns to go downstairs and is cut off by…himself.<p>

"Buffy warned me about you. Honestly I thought you'd come as my dad." Clark said walking right through the first.

"But it's so much fun being you." The other Clark replies. "It's like 3 for 1 not only do I get you but I also get." The first changes into Kal. "Your better half" The first changes into Kal El. "And who Jor El wants you to be."

"What do you want?" Clark asks getting annoyed quick.

The first changes back into Kal it was its favorite of Clark's hat trick of personalities because of his rampage in Metropolis. "Just curious as to why you are here Kal El."

"To help stop you." Clark responded

Kal just laughs at that. "You'll help me more than hurt me. Imagine if one of those phantoms came this way all those poor girls killed because you showed up here."

Clark was taken back by that. "How do you know about the phantoms?"

Kal just smirked. Big dumb alien "Buffy didn't tell you the whole story. I am the first as they call me but I'm also you Clark Joseph Kent, Kal El of Krypton, Kal, or whatever you're calling yourself this week. I know all you know."

"I'll protect them if one comes." Clark said.

Kal had a little laugh seeing Clark's resolve falter. "No you won't you fail everyone around you. See that's your curse Clark. Kyla, Ryan, the baby, Alicia, Raya…dad. You really want to risk adding Buffy to the list. These girls have enough on their plate with me do you really want to add to the pile."

Clark realizes he's right if a phantom comes looking for him none of the girls will be able to defend themselves against it.

Kal laughs at how easy this all was. "Hey Clark feel free to slip a red ring on at anytime." It mocks him before disappearing in white light.

Clark pouts and opens the door seeing Buffy. Buffy looks in Clark's eyes and sees the noble look she usually sees in the mirror. "You're leaving."

Clark silently nods.

Buffy was fuming. "So what you filled your quota of the day on damsels in distress and now you're on your way."

"I have my own enemies a lot stronger than your preacher. If they follow me here" Clark started.

"They won't." Buffy assures him. "The fir-" The realization hits Buffy "That's what happened isn't it the first paid you a visit."

"Yes"

Buffy rolls her eyes. "Clark the first is just trying to scare you off. The first will make sure nothing stops its plans I can guarantee you that it won't let another evil stop its…evil."

Clark just smiles at Buffy's little rant. "And if one of my guys does show up."

"You'll have back up if he's packing rocks or magic." Buffy supplied she's not worried though evil tends to avoid stepping on each other's feet. She wants to get to the $64,000 question that is on her mind. "How did you get out of heaven?"

"My biological father pulled me down just after that thing...ate you" Clark answered as guilt started pouring off him. "It came at a price. In order for me to come back someone I loved had to die. I got my own father killed."

"No you didn't." Buffy assures him. "You loved your dad you would never hurt him."

"He was protecting my secret and his heart gave out." Clark said.

"And that was his choice. He chose to protect you, just like he chose to take you in the day he and your mom found your ship in that field. We always have a choice Clark. He chose his own fate." Buffy said now wishing she had Jonathon Kent for a father since both have let her down. One ran off with his secretary, and her surrogate father has started pulling plays from Quinten's rulebook.

"Clark we can't do anything about the past except let it go and look to a better future." Buffy said.

Clark hugged her and thanked her. "Thank you." He doesn't know why he opened up like that he never does Buffy is just always able to get through his defenses. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience."

"I am." Buffy answered honestly. "When I was first brought back down I didn't take it so well. I felt like I was royally screwed being pulled down from heaven. I was obsessed with being taken out of heaven I ignored my friend's pain and everything just went right to hell. Willow got hooked on dark magic, Xander left Anya at the alter, Dawn was a total klepto, Tara was murdered, and I was sleeping with Spike."

"How did you get over it?" Clark asked.

"I said goodbye." Buffy answered. "To heaven and you, until tonight anyway, by the way why 18 months later, what was I a booty call in the clouds?" Buffy started to glare at him.

Clark looked at her. "You were a lot more than that. Buffy you were the first person I have ever let in willingly, the only one."

Buffy nodded. "So if I was the only one you trusted why did you wait so long to find me again."

Clark pouted. "My friends and family convinced me you were a dream my mind cooked up while I was dieing from blood loss. After I found people leaving in mass I wanted to make sure you got out no matter who you really were."

Buffy was somewhere between a smile that he thought a girl like her could be a dream and angry that he could dismiss everything that happened in heaven as a dream. "How could you think I was a dream?"

"Because I looked you up." Clark answered. "It said you never died and there wasn't as much as a picture to tell me it was you. I wasn't going to knock on the door of a complete stranger and say I think I met you in heaven. I think girls call the police on people like that."

Buffy pouted. Her friends used Buffybot to keep child services away but it also kept Clark away. Oh well she wouldn't change it She has Dawn and Clark is here now. On the bright side however she gets to see Clark's face when she says this. "Yeah, my friends used a robotic copy of me to fool everyone that I was still alive."

Buffy waited for Clark's jaw to drop but when he gave no reaction she glared. "Hey, just because you're an alien doesn't mean anything about robots."

Clark's answer about his good friend the cyborg or the killer robot was interrupted by banging on the door.

"Hey B if your talking or screwing with your friend I don't care but can you do it in your own bedroom at least." Faith said. "I need to take a shower."

* * *

><p>Buffy grabbed Clark by the hand and led him to her bedroom giving Faith access to the shower. Faith got out of the shower and went to the room Anya put her in and heard loud snoring from the room. Maybe she shouldn't have gloated to Anya that she had Xander first. Maybe Spike will let her crash with him in the basement. After her long incarceration she had her fill of girls anyway. She comes down and sees Spike working over a punching bag. She sees the bag now has black hair and a paper drawing of red and blue it's not hard to figure out who he's hitting.<p>

"You look pissed." Faith said announcing her presence.

"Just working through my issues." Spike said still hitting the bag.

Faith looked on. "Want to talk about it?"

Spike stopped and smiled. "Faith the vampire counselor"

Faith shrugged. "Well I already told I'm not going to slay you if you're repenty takes the fun out of it."

Spike just stops hitting the bag. "3 years, 3 sodding years and not once did Buffy look at me with the doe eyed look she had for demon Clark."

"You really think Clark's a demon?"

Spike just looked at her and Faith caught on. "Yeah, I forgot we're talking about B."

Spike just smiled. "And I don't think she knows but I know Clark shot a look of hellfire red eyes at me."

Faith was shocked well not really but she missed it. "When did he do that?"

"It was blink and you miss it." Spike said. "It was like he wanted to kill me one second and just ignored it the next."

Faith was in thought. "Maybe he has a thing against Billy Idol."

Spike rolled his eyes. "That ponce stole the look from me. So what are you doing down here Faith?"

Faith just let out a small laugh. "That obvious huh. I need a place to crash Anya put me with all the snorers."

"Pet that probably was Anya. The bird could wake the dead with that snore." Spike teased. "You can sleep down here Faith."

Faith smiled until Spike added. "On the floor pet"

Faith pouted until an idea hit her. "Fight you for the bed."

Spike was in thought there's only so many times you can hit a punching bag. "You're on."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Clark were sitting back on her bed sharing their respective stories of the last 18 months. Buffy got a laugh out of the vampire sorority and was sorry she wasn't around to help. Clark was regretting that he didn't fry Spike when he thought he was Brainiac when Buffy told him what he tried to do to her. Clark told her the story about Zod and how he had to save the world. Buffy just laughed not at the apocalypse obviously but Giles spent months in England trying to figure out what caused worldwide earthquakes and what they meant. Clark told her about the phantoms and Buffy told him about the first. When Clark told her about this last phantom Buffy just laughed.<p>

"Is there something funny about a phantom trying to take over my body?" Clark asked.

Buffy waved her arms a possessed Clark was something she never wanted to see. "No, no it's just the same thing happened to me."

Clark was trying to wrap his head around that. "Something was trying to get you to give up you powers."

Buffy stopped laughing. "No not that the locked in an asylum bit."

Clark started laughing at that part. "So who was I in your dream?"

"My ever loving boyfriend who wanted to see me get better." Buffy answered. "So who was I?"

Clark was in thought but answered. "Elizabeth 'Buffy' Kyle my childhood sweetheart."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You changed my name?"

Clark was making his defense. "The phantom did it. He had limited time so he probably wanted to avoid the whole Eric Summers stealing my powers thing."

"Clark can I ask you something?" Buffy asks him.

Clark looks at her she can ask him anything she knows that. "Of course"

"Did you hesitate coming back?" Buffy asked feeling guilty she nearly killed her friends.

Clark shrugged stupid honesty. "If the dog wasn't barking I wouldn't have made it back. Take it you hesitated."

Buffy nodded yes. "I didn't want to leave but I couldn't kill my friends to stay. And after all of it maybe I'm just a nutcase in LA."

"Then somewhere out there is a nutcase in Kansas who strangled his doctor to death." Clark joked.

Buffy just laughs. They really were so similar her laughing stops and she puts on her serious face. "We're in trouble here Clark can you fight with us on this and just stay here for now."

Clark just nodded he always wants to help people. "I'll help in any way I can as long as I only have to kill vampires and demons."

"Thanks Clark." Buffy said.

"Just say the word and I'll do it." Clark replied though he started to wonder if he said something wrong when he saw Buffy wince. "Did I say something wrong?"

Buffy had her head down. "No, you just stated the problem. I say the word someone dies."

Clark put his hand on her shoulder. "You're going to lose people no matter how strong or fast you are. There are always casualties in war."

Buffy turned to Clark. "Casualties…it just sounds so casual. These are girls I got killed like Molly and Dianne."

"And how many girls would have gotten killed if you didn't open your house to every potential out there?" Clark asked. "How many of them would have stood a chance with the bringers, the ubervamps, and Caleb? You are an incredible woman Buffy don't start doubting yourself now."

Buffy just leaned closer into Clark. "Can you stay here?"

"I already told you I won't leave till this is over." Clark said.

Buffy smiled. "No, I mean…here." She points to her bed. "Will you just hold me?"

They both lay back and eventually fall asleep in each others arms.

* * *

><p>Buffy turns to Clark and sees he's out cold she's thankful most of the people in Sunnydale have already fled she doesn't want to imagine how bad Sunnydale would be for Clark's superhearing. She gets up and looks out the window at the stars as Joyce emerges from the shadows.<p>

"You're not her." Buffy says knowing full well that it's the first.

"Can't a mother check in on her daughter?" Joyce asked turning to Clark's direction. "I approve by the way sure he's not human but at least he can tan."

"So you have seen Caleb lately? You should be more careful first the ubervamp and now him you keep losing your arms."

Joyce smiled. "That's OK sweetie I don't need arms got an army."

Buffy looked at Joyce. "An army of vampires however will I fight-"

Joyce cuts her off annoyed. "Every day our numbers swell. But then you do have an army of your own. Some thirty-odd pimply-faced girls that don't know the pointy end of a stake, maybe I should call this of." The first mocked her.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Have you ever considered a cool name? I mean, since you're incorporeal and basically powerless… how about the Taunter? Strikes fear in the hearts of-"

Buffy had finally succeeded in rattling the first as it spat out. "I will overrun this earth. And when my army outnumbers the humans on this earth, the scales will tip and I will be made flesh."

"Talk on. I'm not afraid of you." Buffy teased.

"Is that right. Then why aren't you asleep… in your alien's arms?" the first asked.

Buffy glances over at Clark on the bed and The First follows her gaze.

"He can't help you, Faith can't help you, Spike could never help you, and your friends can't help you and certainly not the wanna be slayers. None of those girls will ever know real power until you die sweetie you remember the drill."

The First morphs from Joyce into Buffy and repeats the motto. "Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl in all the world. She alone will have the strength and skill to… There's that word again. What you are. How you'll die. Alone."

Buffy stares at The First, says nothing.

"Where's your snappy comeback?" 'Buffy' asked.

"You're right."

The first was amused by her response. "Hmm… not your best."

Clark suddenly starts awake, coming out of a dream. "Zod"

Buffy looks over at him and when she looks back, The First is gone.

"Buffy? Is something wrong?"

Buffy had a confused look. "No…Yeah. I just realized something. Something that really never occurred to me before. We're going to win."

* * *

><p>Clark came downstairs the next morning for food with the potentials while Buffy talked to her friends about her plan. Clark thinks it's brilliant and hopes it can be done. Clark goes downstairs and looks into the fridge. The barren, dry, empty fridge, admittedly he doesn't really need food but when you eat for 17 years you get used to it. Clark looks around until Kennedy finally asks. "What are you doing?"<p>

"I'm looking for food." Clark says like it should be obvious.

Kennedy smiled. "There's nothing hidden what you see is what you get."

Clark frowned and then got an idea. "The whole town has cleared out right."

Kennedy nods looking through the cabinets. "It's why the town has no power."

Clark superspeeds out the house and when Kennedy turns around all she sees is Chao Ahn.

"Where did he go?" Kennedy asked.

"The big red demon moves like lightning." Chao Ahn responded.

Kennedy just looks at Chao Ahn and remembers she doesn't speak English. She just shrugs and goes into the living room. When she gets there she waits 2 minutes later Clark opens the door.

"Can you give me a hand with these?" Clark asked.

Kennedy came out and her eyes bugged out when she saw 4 shopping carts filled to the rim with food. "Ladies give us a hand with these."

The potentials came out and their eyes lit up so much food. They all grabbed the bags and put them on the kitchen table and started ripping through it for food. Clark has never seen anything like it before. It was like he was caught in a teenage girl feeding frenzy. He grabbed a green apple which was the only fruit in the store not spoiled and took a bite and quickly spat it out. Growing up on a farm he should have known.

"Irradiated." Clark muttered set to throw the apple away until a potential took it from him. He grabbed some cupcakes and snacks for himself and a plastic bag of cookies and chocolate bars.

The scoobies all came down psyched about what they talked about. Faith saw it first and ran right into the fray. Xander smiled like a little kid seeing it. "Food genuine food"

Anya looked at him. "I think its junk food Xander."

Willow nodded in agreement. "But that's like the best kind of food there is."

Dawn and Giles were already stuffing their faces.

Buffy walked over to Clark. "I take it you did this."

Clark shrugged. "I wanted to be useful."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Bribing the girls are we."

Buffy wasn't looking forward to this. "Spike he's just trying to help."

"Yeah and kill me when you're not looking." Spike replied.

Buffy looked at Clark and saw him wince he did. "You tried to kill him?" Buffy's wondering why everyone wants to kill Spike lately.

Clark shrugged. "He didn't have a heartbeat I thought he was the brain interactive construct until I saw bones."

"The brain entering what's it?" Spike asked.

Clark shrugged showing is easier. "Do you have a computer?"

Willow gave him her laptop and eventually he brought up a picture that was a dead ringer for Spike except for the hair. Willow was in shock Buffy had the wigs considering everything Clark said this machine did he made new to the hellmouth Spike look like a puppy. Spike was fuming at the picture. Someone stole his face.

"He stole my face." Spike said.

"It stole your face." Clark corrected. "It's a machine."

Spike smiled. "Then no one will mind if I smash it to bits."

Buffy put her hand on his shoulder. "Sorry Spike, Clark already took care of it."

Spike pouted he wanted to be the one that smashed the thing that stole his face.

"If it means anything he's found a way to come back to life before." Clark said.

"Really, you're not just saying that." Spike said.

Giles turned to Buffy and she looked at her watcher and responded. "After breakfast Giles." She turned to Clark. "You didn't think of warning me that you were doing this so I can pick my favorites."

Clark gave her the plastic bag full of fortune cookies the only Chinese food that was still edible at this point and the chocolate bars. Buffy smiled she only told Clark these were her favorites once in heaven and he still remembered. "You're the best."

* * *

><p>After breakfast they all gathered in the living room waiting for Robin to arrive with Rona when they did Buffy started.<p>

"I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there's evil and that I was chosen to fight it. I wish a whole lot of the time that I hadn't been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn't been, either. But this isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes. Not when its army is ready. Now. Tomorrow morning I'm opening the Seal. I'm going down into the Hellmouth and I'm finishing this once and for all. Right now you're asking yourselves what makes this different. What makes us anything more than a bunch of girls being picked off one by one? It's true; none of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's the part where you make a choice. What if you could have that power… now? In every generation one Slayer is born because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men."

Buffy points at Willow, who smiles nervously.

"This woman is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power will have the power. Can stand up, will stand up. Slayers…every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"

To Buffy's shock Rona is the first to put her hand up. "I'm ready." Slowly but surely each hand goes up until all the potentials agree.

Faith brings up something she's wondering. "B will Red's spell make us stronger?" Faith asked she wouldn't mind being as powerful as Clark.

Buffy nodded no. "We're already slayers Faith we're as strong as we get."

"Why are we waiting?" Clark asked. "Willow's spell I mean shouldn't we do it right now."

"The stop sign makes a point." Spike adds. "I'd rather not have Red's spell go haywire in a matter of life and death."

Willow answered for them. "The spell is a balance thing it won't work until the seal is open."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Can't be too sodding easy now can it."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Faith were at the school setting up barricades just in case the ubervamps get past them.<p>

"So tomorrow we fight then." Faith said.

Buffy looked at her sister slayer subtlety still not one of her strong points. "Tomorrow we fight. So what's on your mind?"

"Just curious as to whom you're spending your last night with B Clark or Spike?" Faith asked.

Buffy was in thought she didn't really think that far ahead she has a war tomorrow. Faith saw the hesitation and was jealous of her how come B gets two great guys that would likely die for her if need be. "You should make a choice B let the other one down easy."

Buffy looked at Faith she is not the person she wants to talk to about this. "They're both really good men why should I have to choose?"

"Because it's not fair to them." Faith finished.

Buffy hates this even with the final battle she still has to make choices. "How am I supposed to choose?"

Faith just shrugged. "Who's your favorite actor?"

"Tom Cruise" Buffy answered not seeing where this is going.

"Favorite color?"

"Red"

"Favorite food"

"Chocolate and Chinese."

"I say moon."

"I say sky."

"Clark or Spike"

"Cla…" Buffy caught herself realizing what she was saying. "Clark"

Faith just smiled. "I think you made your choice B." She says grabbing another piece for the barricade.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Did you have to drop this on me now how do I tell Spike?"

"Thanks for getting you soul back but I want to see the farmboy." Faith joked until she saw Buffy's face. "Spike is a big boy and has got the whole repenty thing going on he can deal and move on. Besides Red told me you went out with Robin not that long ago, so you obviously weren't head over heels with Spike."

"I care about him a lot." Buffy said.

"It's not the same B" Faith said.

"I know it's just why Clark. We were together one time." Buffy rolled her eyes realizing she just gave Faith of all people a hand grenade about her personal life.

"What was being with him like considering what he did to Caleb I can only imagine what he could do to bone?" Faith asked.

"That was just incredible. He didn't hurt me at all and he has superhuman stamina. Honestly it was the best part of heaven." Buffy started to explain.

Faith warmed at the thought of stamina but quickly regained herself. "What did you feel afterwards in his arms?"

"Content, like I belonged here, being the slayer just made it so easy to keep people out but I wanted to let him in." Buffy explained.

"Being a slayer makes it easy to cut people off. Maybe that's why me and you never got along." Faith said.

"Also you went evil and killed people." Buffy quipped.

Faith picked up her tone. "Good point also valid. Look barricades are up what do you say we call this done."

Buffy nodded and they both walked out of the school to Buffy's house.

* * *

><p>That night Faith was in the basement thinking about tomorrow. Win or lose the final battle everything is going to change. She's just trying to figure out what to do with her life if she survives. She knows she's not going back to prison; the passive redemption part of her life is over. Maybe she can do what Angel does. Help people, seek redemption and still get paid for it. She sees Spike coming down glaring at her. She hasn't seen a vampire so angry with her since Kakistos.<p>

"Take it you talked to B huh?" Faith asked.

Spike rolled his eyes. "You're a real sadist you know that. First you beat the crap out of me. Then you leave me on the cold floor, and finally you talk to B about fast dumping me which I knew was coming anyway as soon as big red pulled into town."

Faith looked at him. "Would you have rather have keep sliding off and putting back on the band aid? I thought the one quick pull would have been better."

Spike slumped. "Probably will be in the long run."

Faith nodded. "So any plans if we pull one out of our asses and actually win this."

Spike was in thought. "Think I might head to Cleveland after this. Give the other hellmouth a run for its money."

"Care for a traveling partner?" Faith asked. "After a long incarceration kind of had my fill of girls."

"Think you should stay here luv girls could use your help when the dust clears." Spike said.

Faith looked at him she's way too laid back to be a leader. "Nah, besides that's what B's for unless" The realization hits her. "She's leaving with-"

Spike quickly puts his hand over her mouth. "She didn't ask him yet. So mum's the word."

"So how do you feel about that?" Faith asked.

"I'm happy that Buffy's getting a break from slaying considering everything the ponces dumped on her this year. Would have preferred if it was with me." Spike answered.

Faith nodded. "So what did you guys talk about?"

"She said she loved me I told her the truth that she didn't but it meant something for her to say it." Spike answered. "And that's all your getting pet. Now out bed is mine tonight."

Faith looked at him. "It's a big bed Spike how about we share."

Spike glared at her. "It's a sodding cot."

Faith shrugged her shoulders "True but also it's a cot without snoring teenage girls and a hard floor." She begged.

* * *

><p>Clark was in Buffy's room after an interesting day he helped barricade the school. The potentials also had their own way of testing his strength which involved how many of them can sit on the couch while Clark lifted it he never even broke a sweat. He saw Buffy come in and it was a first for Clark she was nervous. She must have discovered something bad.<p>

"Buffy what is it?" Clark asked.

Buffy was nervous how does she say this without sounding weird. "It's just tomorrow if we win. There's a good chance the town is going to cave in."

Clark was taken back by that his worst was Zod and all he did was shake up the planet. A city was never leveled in the fight. "So what does that change?"

Buffy shrugged it doesn't change anything this still has to be done. "Nothing, except I won't have a place to live. Would you mind if I moved to Metropolis?"

Clark just smiled of course not. "Not at all, I think I might be able to set you up in a nice penthouse in Metropolis."

Buffy smiled in relief. "Thank god I thought I was going to come off as a stalker."

"Buffy, I would love to have you close by there is just one thing." Clark said.

"What's that?" Buffy asked.

Clark looked at her like it should have been obvious. "What about Dawn, your sister."

Buffy just smiled like a proud parent. "She's going to school overseas. Giles and Will are setting it up along with something in Scotland. With her gone I want a life of my own too."

"Your own life involves being around mine?" Clark asked.

"No, being close to you is a perk. Being close to Met U is what I want." Buffy answered.

Clark smiled Buffy told him how much she had to miss out on due to how bad her life had gotten in Sunnydale. It was nice to see her getting a piece of it back.

Buffy smiled. "You know I don't have to enroll by myself." Clark told her how he dropped out after his dad died.

"Buffy I still have the farm to run." Clark said

"Wouldn't want to cut into those 5 minutes now would we." Buffy deadpans. "Clark just think about it OK. Besides we have a long way to go until the Fall and we deserve the Summer off after this mess."

"I'll think about it. I promise." Clark answers until he hears a noise that can't be right who'd be dumb enough to come here.

"It's good that you are Clark I mean we." Buffy looks at him it's like he's not even here. "Can have a three way with Faith right now all you have to do is say the word."

Clark turns to Buffy "Someone's coming into town. Might be the preacher's replacement."

Buffy thinks it might be another girl but at least with Clark they can cut her off or bring her in. "Clark let's go say hi."

* * *

><p>Clark easily scoops Buffy up in his arms and takes off for the incoming car. Buffy and Clark get to the city limits and stops at the welcome to Sunnydale sign. Clark rolled his eyes at the enjoy your stay part. He watched as a limousine pulled up and a tall dark brooding guy came out. Well vampire since Clark can't hear a heartbeat.<p>

"Buffy, how did you know I was coming?" Angel asked.

"Just knew" Buffy said before she turned to Clark. "Could you give us a couple minutes?"

Clark walks away and about 20 minutes later Buffy calls him back. Clark walks up to her and sees her holding a folder and jewelry. "What's with the jewelry?"

Buffy twirled it around her hand "He said it was meant for a champion. But not a human maybe it was meant for you?"

Clark shrugged and then held his hand out. Buffy put it in his hand and he instantly felt a rush of power too much oh god way too much. "Take it off."

Buffy looks in horror as Clark's skin starts to crack. She quickly takes the amulet off of his hand and Clark collapses. Buffy was shaking in terror Angel's a pile of dust if this killed him. "Clark come on I just got you back I can't lose you again wake up."

Buffy watches as Clark's flesh regenerates and his eyes shoot open. "Oh thank god, I thought I killed you."

Clark calmed down his heart finally slowing down. "If I held on another couple seconds I might have."

"So I noticed." Buffy quipped. "So what did that thing do to you?"

"I don't know it was like it supercharged me. But it was too much my body was about to blow." Clark answered.

"Then you're not meant to wear it?" Buffy quickly realized. "Then that means its Spike's. Come on let's get back."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Clark came in the front door and Clark saw Xander, Amanda, Giles, and Andrew playing a game or reading Little Red Riding hood. Buffy opened the basement door and saw Faith and Spike fully clothed asleep next to each other. She went back up and closed it. "We can give it to him tomorrow." She takes Clark upstairs to her room and starts looking over where his skin cracked.<p>

"Buffy I'm fine, invulnerable remember." Clark said.

Buffy looked him over. "Well you nearly got blown to bits Mr. Invulnerable."

Clark just pouted. "Mystical amulet I should really learn to just stay away from magic from now on."

Buffy just smiled. "Might be a good idea." Buffy starts kissing the side of his neck.

Clark was taken back. "What are you doing?"

Buffy stopped and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Making up for lost time." The realization hits her. "There's not someone else is there."

Clark shook his head no. "It's only you save for kissing…Lois while hopped up on red rock."

Buffy did everything she could to control her laughter but it just came out. "Lois…Lois Lane that's just too good with everything you said about her."

"OK it's not that funny." Clark protested.

"Kind of is." Buffy said before finally stopping. "So do you want anything to happen with her?"

"No" Clark answered. "Lois is just a friend."

"Good" Buffy said as she kissed Clark again.

"Buffy" Clark muttered.

Buffy instantly knew what this was about and calmed him down. "Clark you controlled yourself up there and I know you can do it again down here. I trust you Clark. I know you won't hurt me." Clark kisses her back and hopes that she's right.

* * *

><p>Clark just held Buffy in his arms. She didn't have a mark on her except for a bruise from Caleb not Clark. He smiled realizing he can control himself. Buffy started moving around she woke up and saw that Clark was wide awake. "Why aren't you sleeping?" Buffy asks.<p>

"Because of last time." Clark answered honestly as messed up as it is he hasn't been this happy in ages and is afraid it might be another dream.

Buffy lazily put her hand to the wall to next door and knocks.

"Yeah Buff?" Willow asks from the other room.

"Are you doing anything magic?" Buffy asks.

"Just research" Willow assures her.

Buffy smiled. "We're fine, get some sleep Clark you're going to need it for tomorrow." With that Clark wrapped Buffy in his arms and went to sleep hoping she's right.

* * *

><p>Clark woke up the next morning and saw Buffy already getting dressed. No laughing no jokes today it was time for the fight. Buffy gave Spike the amulet on the bus and when they got to school Buffy sent Clark down with the potentials along with Spike and Faith. A couple minutes later Buffy is down. Her, Faith, and every other potential slash their hands and drip their blood on the seal. The seal comes to life and opens what looks like a set of trap steps. The army goes down and Spike starts complaining about his amulet.<p>

"Not to be a buzzkill, love, but my fabulous accessory isn't exactly tingling with power."

Buffy just shrugs. "I'm not worried."

"I'm getting zero juice here… and I look like Elizabeth Taylor." Spike complained.

Faith put her hand on his shoulder to mock him. "Cheer up, Liz. If Willow's big spell doesn't work, it won't matter what you wear."

"I'm not worried." Buffy says again.

The group spreads out as the cave tunnel opens up they approach the sight and their eyes go wide everyone including Clark was wide eyed at the sight it as like an entire city of Ubervamps as Buffy called them.

"I'm not worried." Buffy says though nervously this time.

"Really?" Rona asked. "Cause I'm flashing back to Xander's whole bathroom speech."

Amanda was terrified "Buffy…"

Clark's eyes took on a red glow. Buffy stopped him. "Clark not yet."

Clark looked at her funny. "Do you not see that?"

"I'm not worried." Buffy assures them. "As long as Willow can work her spell before they-"

Far below, the Ubervamps go silent as they all turn as one and look up, directly at Buffy and the potentials.

"See us." Buffy whimpered.

The Ubervamps rushed up and Clark's eyes turn red.

Buffy glared. "Clark not yet you got to give Willow more time."

Buffy watches as Vi, Rona, and Amanda each took a breath as if something was surging through them. Willows spell is taking effect and Buffy smiles turning to Clark. "Clark do it now."

At Buffy's orders Clark burns the lines by the hundreds. Giles, Xander, Willow and Buffy each took turns pounding it into his head that these things had no soul after what happened with Caleb. Clark got the lesson, also some very violent index cards. Clark believes in the best of every soul and killing is never right but this is destroying soulless monsters bent on nothing but death and destruction. The ones that do make it up are dealt with in rabid succession due to the large numbers of slayers with sharp things.

Faith was watching the army of Ubervamps combust and die she rolled her eyes and turned to Buffy. "Ok B when were you going to tell us Clark had a sun behind each eyeball."

"It's more like a flamethrower." Buffy joked.

However at that moment Clark's eyes turned pink and the heat vision stopped. Clark tried to restart the heat vision but no luck he actually hurt his own eyes and then it hits him. "Magic" Clark growled under breath.

The army started coming up uninterrupted and the fight started. Buffy easily killed two with the scythe delivered by Kennedy. Clark went for superspeed with a stake and when that failed he was knocking their heads off by punching them relieved that the magic hasn't switched off all his powers. Faith was holding her own and Spike looked like he was in pain. Everything was going fine and then it happened. An Ubervamp got behind Buffy and stabbed her. Clark grabbed it and threw it straight up it eventually giving Buffy the protection of sunlight when the ubervamp went through the roof. Faith ran over to check on her as well.

Buffy just gave Faith the scythe and muttered. "Hold the line, both of you."

Faith took the scythe and swung ferociously at any vamp foolish enough to cross her path until she's overwhelmed and throws the scythe to Rona. Clark put his fists through an ubervamp's skull as it was about to break Amanda's neck as a horde of them dog piled him.

Buffy looked around and saw the cost of war. An Asian slayer was being drained dry. The vamps that would have drained Amanda switched their focus to Kennedy overwhelming her and breaking her neck instead Poor Willow. Buffy looks over and sees the first dressed up as her.

"Oh, no…ow! Mommy, this mortal wound is all… itchy." The First crouches down next to Buffy. "You pulled a nice trick. You came pretty close to smacking me down. What more do you want?"

Buffy stares at The First with smoldering hatred. The fight slowly comes back into her eyes and her face hardens with grim determination. "I want you… to get out of my face!"

Buffy pushes herself up onto her hands and knees, and then regains her feet. The First backs away and vanishes.

Rona throws Buffy the scythe and in one movement she wipes out 6 ubervamps. Faith fights off the ubervamps on top of her and breaks free. One of the 15 on Clark goes flying straight through the roof creating another pocket of sunlight. When Clark regains control the other 14 are sent into the sun one after another through the same hole.

Each potential turned slayer is fighting off a vampire with the last of their adrenaline. Faith ended up side by side with Clark and asked. "Can't you give us more sun farmboy?"

Clark nodded no. "Any more holes and the whole school can come down."

At this point the magic in Spike's amulet finally activated. "Oh Bollocks." Energy surrounded Spike and punched through the principal's office and making another hole. Spike is surrounded by bright yellow light. "Buffy" Buffy looks on in shock as rays of sunlight channel through Spike obliterating every ubervamp in the hellmouth. Just like they feared the unbalance is now making Sunnydale collapse on itself without the hellmouth. Clark is hit with a beam from Spike and the pink light shatters restoring his heat vision and speed…at the worst possible time now that it's all over. Faith orders everyone out. Helping the wounded to able bodied slayers that can carry them. Faith stays behind and looks at Spike.

"I can feel it." Spike says.

"Feel what?" Faith asks.

"My soul it's really there." Spike answered. "Kind of stings."

Spike spent a good amount of his unlife traveling in the day but Buffy could see he's reaching his limits. "You've done enough."

"No you held them back it's for me to do the clean up." Spike insisted.

Faith took a third option and ripped the amulet off Spike and threw it burning her hand but saving the vampire with a soul. That's two now. "Clean ups done lets go." Spike followed Faith up the steps followed by Buffy and Clark. They got on the bus and Buffy remembered Kennedy and she was going to get Willow out. "Clark we forgot Willow."

Clark nodded. "Go I'm much faster on my own."

* * *

><p>The Bus took off at full speed and stopped right outside the town. The scoobies got out and saw the collapsed town. Buffy was panicking as she didn't see a red blue blur alongside the bus. She couldn't have lost her best friend and Clark all in one day. Buffy got out and looked at the Sunnydale sign as it fell into the hole. Spike had knocked it down for the third time. Buffy watched as her friends and family got off the bus unharmed. Giles, Xander, Anya, Dawn even Andrew no civilian was hurt she has to thank Clark his heat vision apparently sent the ubervamps into a frenzy as non of them went upstairs as they all wanted to be the one to make sure Clark was dead and all the civilians had to fight was bringers. Or at least she'd like to thank Clark.<p>

"Should we tell her I got us here first?"

"No, I want to see if she cries."

Buffy turned around and instantly wrapped her arms around Clark and Willow. She let go of the two and pulled Clark into a kiss relieved that she didn't have to die just to see him again. Willow just smiled at the two while Xander came out and just laughed and started. "Ah Buffy went 180."

Buffy looks at Xander. "What do you mean 180?"

Xander just smiled. "Well you started with deadboy who was way older than you. Then there was Riley who was a little bit older than you but still older. Then Spike who was way older again and now finally you're the older woman."

Buffy just smiled thanks to Clark she can fire right back. "Well you must like older women considering you got back together with Anya last night."

Anya's eyes bugged out. "How did you, we had many orgasms but it was in secret?"

* * *

><p>Clark wasn't getting involved in this he walked up to Giles and joined him in looking at the giant crater that used to be Sunnydale. Giles looked over at the kid that had saved so many lives since he got here. Having learned a little bit of Cantonese he heard Chao An refer to him as a red dragon because of his eyes.<p>

"So, still curious about me?" Clark asked.

"No" Giles answered. "I know exactly what you are."

"What's that?" Clark asked.

"A hero" Giles said.

Clark just smirked after everything he has done. "Mr. Giles trust me I'm no hero."

"I disagree with that Mr. Kent." Giles said bluntly. "With your power you could have easily killed Caleb but you refused to take a human life. I saw you were afraid of the seal for whatever reason but you put your life on the line going into the seal to help the girls. You are a hero Clark and that is what draws you and Buffy together the similar paths you walk. I trust I can count on you to watch after her in Metropolis."

Clark just nods though with how she fights he doubts Buffy would ever need his help with a meteor infected.

"Good" Giles said starting to clean his glasses. "If you hurt her you'll find out that I'm not."

Clark's eyes bugged out. He just fought undead primordial demons how did the middle aged British man scare him.

* * *

><p>Faith was walking to the front of the bus and a hand grabbed her Spike's.<p>

"Pet why'd you save me?" Spike asked.

Faith just shrugged. "Seemed like the thing to do."

Spike shot a glare at Faith. "But it was my time."

Faith looked at him and said what she was taught. "Our time is never up Blondie we pay for everything. Part of the repenty gig."

Spike wonders where she heard that. His money is on Captain Forehead. "So, Cleveland you in or out?"

Faith just smiles walking off the bus Giles can take care of the girls he was buffy's watcher after all. "I'm in."

* * *

><p>The potentials were getting off the bus; Amanda saw Willow and shifted her eyes to look anywhere else. Willow saw Amanda get out and asked. "Did you see did you see what happened to Kennedy?"<p>

Amanda just smiled. "She was amazing, she died saving my life." Which was the truth in its own twisted way?

Willow just smiled. "At least she died a hero."

Buffy, Faith, and the rest of the scoobies gathered around Giles and Clark.

"Looks like the Hellmouth is officially closed for business." Faith said.

"There's another one in Cleveland." Giles said earning glares from everyone. "Not to spoil the moment."

"We saved the world." Xander said.

"We changed the world." Willow added. "I can feel them, Buffy. All over, Slayers are awakening everywhere."

Dawn smiled. "We'll have to find them."

"We will." Willow assured.

"Still have my own problem." Clark said counting himself out.

Faith looked to him. "Can we help you kind of pulled us out of the fire back there?"

Buffy spoke up. "I'm going back with him to help maybe I'll even find some slayers there. Besides we blew up the mall here so I'm done with Sunnydale."

Dawn was in a state of shock. "We destroyed the mall? I fought on the wrong side."

"All those shops, gone. The Gap, Starbucks, Toy R Us…who will remember all those landmarks unless we tell the world of them?" Xander asked sarcastically.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us." Giles said.

Faith looks to the others. "Can I push him in?"

Willow points her hand up. "You've got my vote."

Faith playfully shoves Giles. "I just want to sleep, yo. For like a week!"

"I guess we all could. If we wanted to." Dawn points out.

Willow nodded in agreement. "Yeah, The First is scrunched so…what do you think we should do, Buffy?

Faith looks over to Buffy. "Yeah, you're not the one and only Chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"

Dawn knows she's going to school but she realizes she never asked Buffy what she was doing. "Yeah, Buffy. What are you going to do now?"

Buffy just leans into Clark and looks off into the future with hopeful eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

* * *

><p><strong>THE END<strong>


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